


A Sincere Compliment

by penlex



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Camp Pining Hearts, Conventions, Cosplay, F/F, Fluff, Miscommunication, Romance, Romantic Gestures, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10575699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penlex/pseuds/penlex
Summary: Peridot finds out about a Camp Pining Hearts fan convention and decides that she and Lapis will couple cosplay Percy and Pierre.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PepperCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepperCat/gifts).



Peridot finds out about the convention while perusing theories online for what might happen next season. Each post has been relatively well thought out, but Peridot is certain if she sat down and organized her thoughts on the matter her, as the humans call it, "meta" would be far superior. However, in between making more morps with Lapis and tending to their corn (she's certain if she gives it enough "tender loving care" it will finally become sapient as it's meant to), Peridot simply hasn't had the time.

An Earth person named sharepierreot3, who clearly is in other ways not particularly wise, posts alerting everyone in the forum that the date of the convention is nearing and reminding them to purchase their admission tickets ahead of time for a discount. At first, Peridot does not know what sharepierreot3 is referring to, but after some skillful researching she finds the homepage for the convention hosts.

She reads through every link on the website, and absorbs all of the relevant information, and when she is done she's so excited that she screams out loud and runs out of the barn and all the way to the beach to Steven's house to tell him about it.

He is very excited to - as any rational person would be - and he wants to go - as any rational person would.

"I'll go ask my dad if he can take us!" Steven says breathlessly, and runs out his door much the same way Peridot just had. A few seconds later he reappears in the doorway and asks, more breathless than before, "Is Lapis coming? Is she excited too? Are you guys going to dress up? I wonder if Connie will want to come and dress up with me!" and then he is gone again.

Peridot realizes that she did not tell Lapis about the convention, or where she was going.

She feels… bad.

She runs all the way back to the barn, and into Lapis's space. Lapis looks up at her flatly from where she is lounging in a "bean bag chair" and - to no one's surprise - watching an episode from season three of Camp Pining Hearts.

Peridot feels good. But also still bad. It's very confusing.

"Lapis!" she shouts.

"Yes, Peridot?" Lapis asks calmly, unperturbed by Peridot's volume.

"There is a Camp Pining Hearts fan convention where we can meet the 'actors' and look at lots of related 'art'. Morps is much better terminology, obviously. Regardless, we will go together. There is an activity called 'couples cosplay' which is perfect for us to engage in. You can pretend to be Percy and I can pretend to be Pierre, and everyone will acknowledge our impressive devotion to them and to each other!"

"That's… great, Peridot," Lapis says. She sounds less than enthused, but she usually has a flat delivery of speech. Peridot is used to it. It doesn't necessarily mean Lapis isn't just as excited as Peridot is. 

(Of course Lapis is as excited as Peridot. Lapis has perfectly adequate judgement capabilities. Most Lazulis do, but Lapis is a cut - ha - above the rest, even despite her past damage.)

So Peridot squeals, and rushes off to her own space to begin creating the perfect costumes for their 'cosplay'.

Two days later, Steven comes to the barn with their tickets. Greg bought five in total so that he, Steven, Connie, Peridot, and Lapis could all go.

"I didn't know your dad liked Camp Pining Hearts too, Steven," Peridot mentions when Steven hands over her and Lapis's tickets.

"He doesn't, really," Steven admits. "He's just going with me because I like it, and I like him!"

Peridot has to acknowledge the logic in that. That way, Steven gets to have more than one thing he likes at the same time. It's always much more satisfying for Peridot to watch Camp Pining Hearts when Lapis watches with her. With that in mind, Peridot rushes back inside the barn, waving their tickets in Lapis's face.

"It's official Lapis! We're going to the convention! I'm so excited!"

"Yeah," Lapis mutters. She doesn't get outwardly excited, but Peridot is not overly concerned about that. But she does notice that although Lapis is sitting in her bag chair and watching something, it's not Camp Pining Hearts, which is odd. Then again, maybe Lapis wants to take a brief sabbatical from Camp Pining Hearts so that the convention experience will be more intense. In fact, that's a good idea, and Peridot decides she will do that too, with Lapis. Excepting of course the necessary reconnaissance to finish their costumes accurately.

Later, while Peridot is finishing up the last details on their costumes, Lapis comes over and stands over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Lapis," Peridot says archly. "You know I am a 'perfectionist'. No one will be able to say anything bad about our costumes."

"I don't want to go," says Lapis, and Peridot malfunctions somehow. Everything seems to freeze for a second.

"What?" she demands, but then she makes herself stop, take a deep breath, and try to think about why Lapis would feel that way. It comes to her relatively quickly; she can't believe she didn't think of it before.

"Oh, of course," she sigs. "You're worried about Paulette fans. I am certain that they are by far in the minority and won't be a problem."

"No, Peridot," Lapis growls. "That's not it." That's her irritated voice. Peridot is very familiar with it. It makes her feel bad. Lapis turns around and stomps off, flops face down on her bag chair, and then grabs the edge and rolls over so that only her feet are visible.

Peridot stays at her workbench for a long time, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. She knows Lapis is a 'fan' of Camp Pining Hearts like she is, and that she also supports the optimal relationship between Percy and Pierre. And she is fairly sure that Lapis likes Peridot as much as Peridot likes Lapis, too…

Finally, Peridot comes to a conclusion. She's certain that she is right this time. She gets to work making the required corrections.

Lapis comes out of her cocoon late in the afternoon, and Peridot is waiting for her with the adjusted costumes.

"I was wrong," she admits with difficulty. Although her error is obvious in hindsight, it is still uncomfortable to acknowledge it. "In my excitement, I did not make a very scientific judgement about which characters we would be more suited to assume the identities of. Of course, you would make a much better Pierre than I. I only wanted to be him because he's my favorite."

"It's okay if you want to be your favorite, Peridot," Lapis says slowly. "But… You don't really  _ like  _ Percy. We make fun of him all the time. So I thought…"

"No!" Peridot corrects, loudly. "I like Percy. It's just that sometimes he makes silly decisions when he doesn't understand everyone else's feelings."

"Yeah," Lapis agrees. Her voice is very 'dry' but she doesn't sound upset anymore.

"So…?" Peridot wonders hopefully. "Will you be my Pierre?" Lapis smiles, nods, and takes the Pierre costume Peridot hands her without hesitation.

Peridot feels… good.

Very good.


End file.
